


Reprieve

by snowshus



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Music, M/M, mentions of Ben Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21613978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowshus/pseuds/snowshus
Summary: Diego is the one who usually finds him.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59
Collections: 300bpm Flash Exchange November 2019





	Reprieve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [infernal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/infernal/gifts).



> inspired by Iron&Wine Teeth in the Grass

Diego is usually the one who finds him, if anyone does, passed out in some alley smelling like three day old booze and vomit. This is likely because Diego is the only one still in town and wandering around rather than any particular connection between them, but still it’s one of those odd comforts, like Ben’s constant presence. Diego’ll drag Klaus back to is room in the basement of a gym and dump him in the shower until most of the smell is washed down the drain. Klaus’ clothes will be pulled off, a frustrating exercises for Diego when Klaus isn’t helping, and even worse when he is. Eventually he’ll win and the thin sodden fabric will slap against the shower floor. 

Diego’s soap smells like antiseptic and drags roughly across Klaus’ arms and chest. Depending on exactly how drugged up Klaus is, Ben might appear, but, unlike when Klaus’ showers alone, he’ll pull his hood down and look away from them. Klaus doesn’t know why. Nothing ever happens. Diego’s mouth stays it’s usual pinched line of frustration and anger as he drags Klaus, now clean, out of the shower. His towels are stiff and course but absorb water just as fine. They leave light red lines on Klaus’ pale skin that fade away after a minute. 

Diego drags him out of the cramped bathroom and into the main room, pushing him onto the bed. He grabs a large sweatshirt and sweatpants, pulling the former over Klaus’ head and helping him to find the arm holes and pull on the pants. 

“Sleep,” he pushes his head down onto the pillow. 

“Sleep,” Ben echoes perched on the edge of the bed and Klaus obeys their command. 

When he wakes up to the pounding headache and gnawing bone ache of being sober Diego is there. He props Klaus up, letting him lean heavily on his shoulder, and slowly helps him drink a glass of water and swallow small white pills that barely touch his pain. 

The dead start walking in. The man with the broken nose who always follows right behind Diego screaming at him doesn’t help the headache. 

“You got anything with a bit more kick, you know what I mean?” He asks Diego. 

Sometimes they argue. Diego’s angry shouts fading into the cacophony of the dead.

Sometimes he just nods and digs though the drawer next to the bed until he finds a bottle and everything starts to fade until even Ben disappears and he and Diego are finally alone.

When there is finally no one watching Klaus presses his lips to Diego’s neck, jaw, lips. 

Sometimes Diego moves away. “No, we can’t.” They will part ways until the next time.

Sometimes he doesn’t, sometimes he follows Klaus back down to the bed, mouths hot against each other’s skin. 

The arrangement only ever lasts a few days at most before Klaus gets that itching need to lose track of himself. Too long with Diego and he starts to feel like a real boy again. He’ll take off when Diego is out or sleeping and they won’t see each other again until the next time Diego is dragging him home.


End file.
